Legal Definitions - Burford abstention

Definition: Burford abstention is a legal principle that allows a federal court to relinquish its jurisdiction in cases where it may conflict with a state's administration of its own affairs. This is done to avoid needless conflict and maintain comity between the federal and state governments.

Example: In Burford v. Sun Oil Co., the Supreme Court held that a federal court should abstain from reviewing a state court's decision in cases involving a complex regulatory scheme and sensitive areas of state concern. This means that if a state has a regulatory scheme in place for a particular industry, the federal court may choose not to interfere with it, even if there are federal laws that also apply.

Another example of Burford abstention is when a federal court chooses not to review a state agency's decision on a local matter, as long as the aggrieved party has adequate relief in the state courts. This is known as equitable abstention.

These examples illustrate how Burford abstention allows federal courts to respect the authority of state governments and avoid unnecessary conflict, while still upholding federal law when necessary.